System and method for initiating an emergency response

ABSTRACT

A system and method for initiating a personal emergency response is disclosed. The method can include receiving an emergency communication via a virtual assistant, spoken by a user and an urgent situation or an emergency situation. The emergency communication can be processed to determine the nature of the emergency communication and translate the emergency communication into an emergency data message having a digital representation of information related to the emergency communication. If the emergency communication indicates an urgent situation, the system can contact an emergency contact based on stored user preferences. If the emergency communication indicates an emergency situation, then the system can aid in the dispatch of emergency services and provide information about the user to provide a measured response to the emergency communication.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional patentapplication Ser. No. 15/473,163, filed Mar. 29 2017, entitled, “SYSTEMAND METHOD INITIATING AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE,” which claims priority toU.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/390,418, filed, Mar. 30, 2016,entitled “AUTOMATED VOICE-CONTROLLED PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSESERVICE,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/392,025 filed, May19, 2016, entitled “SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING CALLING PARTY MEDICALINFORMATION FOR 911 EMERGENCY SERVICES,” the contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

This disclosure relates to communications during emergency situations inthe home. More specifically, the disclosure relates to systems andmethods for providing an automated voice-controlled Personal EmergencyResponse System (PERS).

Related Art

Some emergency communication and response systems can feature a wearablewireless device having a button that a user can activate, for example,in case of an emergency or in the even there is an acute need forassistance. Upon activation of the button, a signal may be transmittedfrom the wireless device to a receiving device in the home. Thereceiving device may be connected to a telephone landline, publicswitched telephone network (PSTN), or plain-old telephone service (POTS)and initiate a connection to a designated call center. The call centercan receive a message indicating that the user needs assistance. Thecall center may be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by agents torespond to users' requests for assistance. An agent in the call centerthen attempts to communicate with the user through the receiving devicein the user's home, to assess the nature of the emergency and determinean appropriate response.

In order for these systems to be effective, the user must have thewireless device within reach in order to activate the system. However,the user may forget to put it on, not wear it consistently, take it offfor one reason or another, or the user may find the need to wear thewireless device to be a stigmatizing sign of feebleness and thereforenot wear it at all. Thus, if there is a sudden need for services thedevice may not be in reach.

There are over 6,000 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in theUnited States. A PSAP is a call center responsible for answering callsto an emergency telephone number (e.g., 911), for police, firefighting,and ambulance/Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Trained operators(telecommunicators) are responsible for dispatching emergency servicesin response to emergency calls. Many PSAPs are E911-enabled, meaning thePSAP can determine the calling party's physical location for callsplaced over a landline telephone service or Voice over IP (VoIP)telephony. Caller identification (ID) Number services provide thecalling party's telephone, number and Caller ID Name (CNAM) provides thecalling party's name. Caller ID Number and Caller ID Name informationcan be displayed on computer monitors at the telecommunicator's workstation. The telecommunicator can determine the nature of the emergencyand dispatch the appropriate first responders to the calling party'slocation.

However, many individuals have dispensed with landlines in favor ofmobile or cellular phones, leaving no landline upon which to determinephysical location. Moreover, there is no nationwide method and systemenabling automatic identification and delivery of information specifyingthe originating calling party's personal medical information to thetelecommunicator in the event of a medical emergency.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the disclosure provides a method for initiating a personalemergency response. The method can include storing personal informationand contact information for one or more emergency contacts in a computermemory. The method can include receiving an emergency communication viaa virtual assistant. The emergency communication can be spoken to thevirtual assistant by a user. The emergency communication can indicateone of an urgent situation and an emergency situation. The method caninclude processing the emergency communication at a voice processingsystem coupled to the virtual assistant to determine the nature of theemergency communication and translate the emergency communication intoan emergency data message. The emergency data message having a digitalrepresentation of information related to the emergency communication. Ifthe emergency communication indicates an urgent situation, the methodcan include transmitting, via a communication network, the emergencydata message to an emergency contact based on the contact information inthe memory and transmitting a message causing the virtual assistant toindicate that at least one message has been transmitted to the one ormore emergency contacts saved in the computer memory. If the emergencycommunication indicates an emergency situation, the method can includetransmitting, via the communication network, the emergency data messageto a public safety answering point (PSAP) and transmitting a messagecausing the virtual assistant to transmit an audio message indicatingthat an emergency service provider has been dispatched route to thehome.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method for initiating apersonal emergency response. The method can include storing personalinformation about a user in a computer memory. The method can includereceiving an emergency communication via a virtual assistant. Theemergency communication can be spoken to the virtual assistant by theuser. The method can include processing the emergency communication at avoice processing system communicatively coupled to the virtual assistantto translate the emergency communication into an emergency data message.The emergency data message can include a digital representation ofinformation related to the emergency communication. The method caninclude transmitting, via a communication network, the emergency datamessage to one or more responder devices.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a personal emergency responsesystem. The personal emergency response system can have a memory. Thepersonal emergency response system can have one or more processorscoupled to the memory. The one or more processors can store personalinformation about a user in the memory. The one or more processors canreceive an emergency communication via a virtual assistant locatedwithin a home. The emergency communication can be spoken to the virtualassistant by the user. The one or more processors can process theemergency communication to translate the emergency communication into anemergency data message. The emergency data message can include a digitalrepresentation of information related to the emergency communication.The one or more processors can transmit, via a communication network,the emergency data message to one or more responder devices. The one ormore processors can receive a communication from the one or moreresponder devices in response to the emergency data message indicatingreceipt of the emergency data message.

Other features and details will become apparent with a review of thefollowing detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The details of embodiments of the present disclosure, both as to theirstructure and operation, can be gleaned in part by study of theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to likeparts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of a system for transmission ofemergency calls and dispatch of emergency services using a personalemergency response system;

FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of a system for transmission ofemergency calls and dispatch of emergency services including a moredetailed; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for transmission of an emergencyservice request and dispatch of emergency services.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

PSAPs utilize a wide variety of telecommunication service and equipmentproviders, computer systems and radio dispatch technology. The disparityof technology can increase the difficulty of creating and implementingservices that can automatically identify the calling party (e.g., theuser) and deliver the calling party's personal medical information.

Allowing access to personal medical information controlled by theindividual calling party, a caregiver, or guardian can expedite medicaltreatment in an emergency. Such information may include, but is notlimited to, the individual's age, medical conditions, allergies,medications, blood type, and the nature of any recent hospitalizations.

Some systems can allow access to personal medical information, but donot provide sufficient security or privacy of the calling party. Forexample, access to an individual's medical information can based onmatching a caller ID number to a stored caller ID number in a databaseassociated with the personal medical information. Another example mayprovide access via an access code or personal identification number(PIN), entered by the telecommunicator prior to obtaining the personalmedical information. These forms of access and other similar systems maynot be feasible due to financial and logistical reasons. Certain issuesremain with respect to ownership and maintenance of databases includingthe medical history information that prevent these kinds of systems frombeing implemented while maintaining security and privacy, particularlyin view of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(HIPAA), a comprehensive health privacy law that regulates the use anddisclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).

Many of the companies offering home medical alert services offer asubscribing customer the means for providing personal medicalinformation that is electronically stored and accessible to medicalalert call center agents. In the event the subscriber experiences amedical emergency, the party placing the call to 911 may be the medicalalert call center. That operator must verbally provide the subscriber'spremises address and personal medical information to the 911telecommunicator. It is a time-consuming and error-prone process.Medical alert companies do not have the means for automatically andelectronically providing personal medical information for display oncomputer monitors at the telecommunicator's work station or theemergency first responders.

The present disclosure describes a system and method for providing anautomated voice-controlled PERS. The PERS can use a decentralized, orcloud-based natural-language-understanding andtext-to-speech/speech-to-text service that provides a communication linkbetween the subscriber or user at home and emergency servicesdispatchers. One or more internet-connected receiving devices can beplaced in the user's home. The receiving device, which may have one ormore microphones, a loudspeaker, and a special-purpose processor and canbe associated with a virtual assistant, for example, listens constantly,awaiting a command or query from the user. When in need of assistance,the user can speak a verbal command. The automated system cancommunicate with the user to determine which of the user'spre-registered responders should be contacted. The responders can be oneor more emergency contacts registered by the user, or emergency servicessuch as an ambulance, police assistance, or fire department. The systemcan contact the appropriate responder via a text message and/or anautomated phone call. The responder can be asked to reply via a web appor be return communication to indicate whether he or she can assist theuser. The system can then report such information back to the user in aninteractive manner.

The disclosure provides methods and systems for an individual, guardian,caregiver, medical professional or other organization or service to haveaccess to an individual's personal medical information, collectivelyreferred to herein as a “personal health record”, as well as the abilityto share information with the consent of the individual, or caregiver,in a medium which provides access to the information in the quickestresponse time. The disclosure utilizes telephony hardware, InternetProtocol (IP) telephony services, the internet, and PSTN to access andshare this information.

An aspect of the disclosure relates to methods and systems for definingthe personal health record of an individual in a database to be sharedwith a 911 telecommunicator, an emergency responder, a hospitalemergency room or other organization or service.

Another aspect of the disclosure relates to methods and systems for a911 telecommunicator, an emergency responder, a hospital emergency roomor other organization or service to access and obtain the personalhealth record of an individual from a database.

Another aspect of the disclosure relates to devices providing a uniqueidentifying short universal resource locator (URL) associated with anindividual and which provides access to their personal health record.

Another aspect of the disclosure may be to improve over the state of theart in the medical alert industry. The disclosure describes a system andmethod for providing a voice-controlled Personal Emergency ResponseService (PERS), utilizing cloud-based natural-language-understanding andtext-to-speech services for alerting emergency contact, emergencyservices, and sharing information.

An aspect of the disclosure relates to methods and systems to provideemergency responders with the user's front door keyless entry code, ifapplicable, or the code for a lockbox containing a key to the user'sfront door, if applicable. The ability to expedite entry to the user'shome without breaking down the front door can save valuable time in amedical emergency.

FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of an embodiment of a system fortransmission of emergency calls and dispatch of emergency services usinga personal emergency response system. In the figure, certain aspects ofthe system are represented by functional blocks. A communication system10 can have a personal emergency response system (PERS) 100. The PERS100 can receive an emergency communication 106 indicating a need foremergency response from, for example, an injured individual in a home110. For example, the emergency communication 106 from the injuredperson, may include, “I fell and think I broke my hip”; “I have chestpains”; “I am having difficulty breathing”; “I think I'm having astroke”. “There is a strong smell of natural gas,” “The pot on the stoveis on fire”. “Someone is trying to break into my home,” “I can't get offthe toilet,” or other emergency communication. The injured individual orindividual in need of assistance using the PERS 100 may also be referredto herein as a user or subscriber. The home 110 may have more than oneuser or subscriber registered for use in the home 110. While the user ofthe PERS 100 (e.g., a subscriber to the service) may be used as theprimary example herein, it should be appreciated that anyone in the home110, including bystanders, can provide the emergency communication 106.While the home 110 is used as a primary example throughout thedisclosure, it should be appreciated that the disclosure is equallyapplicable in a commercial setting. Multiple users can be associatedwith the PERS 100.

In general, the emergency communication 106 can be categorized as urgentor emergency. An “urgent situation,” as used herein, can bedistinguished from an emergency situation as a situation that isgenerally non-threatening to life, limb, or safety. As such, a scalefrom “urgent” to “emergency” is subjective and may have many nuances,and it should be appreciated that designation as urgent or emergency inthis disclosure may be made for ease of description and example, and notby way of limitation. The nature of the emergency communication 106 candetermine what response is needed and what responder or responders arecontacted. The designation as urgent or emergency may further be made bythe user in the emergency communication 106.

The term “responder” as used herein may refer generally as an entityreceiving a message or other notification from the PERS 100 in responseto the emergency communication 106. A responder can be an urgentresponder (e.g., an emergency contact designated by the user), adispatch center, and in some cases, an emergency responder as indicatedby the nature of the situation (e.g., fire, police, ambulance).

In an urgent situation, the PERS 100 may contact one or more urgentresponders, or people identified by the subscriber as an emergencycontact (e.g., friend, a neighbor or family member). The emergencycommunication 106 can also indicate an emergency situation that may be,for example, threatening in some way to the user's life, limb, orsafety. In such a circumstance, the PERS 100 can alert 911 emergencyservices and/or one or more emergency contacts as well. These featuresare described in more detail below.

“911 emergency services” is used herein as the primary example herein,however other systems or methods are possible to provide the PERS 100access to emergency services. For example, dialing or otherwisecontacting emergency services associated with “112” in the EuropeanUnion may provide a similar capability for the PERS 100 that is employedinternationally. As such “911 emergency services” and the associatedPSAP 150 can also be the emergency services counterpart or dispatchingsystem employed in a foreign country.

The PERS 100 can route the emergency communication 106 and otherinformation about the emergency and the injured individual to a PSAP 150via the Internet 102 or other communication networks, as describedbelow. The PSAP 150, or a 911 call center, can dispatch emergencyservices such as an emergency responder 160 to the home 110 in responseto the emergency communication 106. The emergency responder 160 can be,for example, emergency medical services (EMS) or paramedics, police,fire department, an applicable first responder service, or otheremergency service provider.

The home 110 can have a virtual assistant 112. The virtual assistant 112can receive verbal commands (from, e.g., the user) such as the emergencycommunication 106 and convert the received audio into data. The data canbe sent via, for example, from the virtual assistant 112 via a Wi-Ficonnection 104 over the internet 102 and an IP connection 108 to acall-routing system (CRS) 170. The CRS 170 can be a distributed networkof systems that are not necessarily collocated. The CRS 170 can operatesuch distributed systems at least in part via cloud computing, forexample. The CRS 170 can have, for example, a Voice Processing System(VPS) 172. The VPS 172 can translate natural-language data to audiodata, providing, among other things, text-to-speech, natural languageunderstanding, and speech-to-text services. These are described in moredetail below.

The CRS 170 can also have a controller 174. The controller 174 can haveone or more processors, microprocessors, micro controllers, and/or atleast one central processing unit (CPU) related to specific call routingand subscription services connecting the user in the home 110 toemergency services via the PSAP 150. The functions of the controller 174can be implemented in software, firmware, and/or hardware across one ormore processors that are not necessarily collocated. In addition, theone or more processors and associated software can be implemented usingcloud computing.

The controller 174 can be coupled to a data management system (DMS) 176.The DMS 176 can have one or more databases configured to store, access,and manage various data regarding, for example, the user or userprofile, medical history, subscription services, incident reports, andcall routing. These features are described in more detail in connectionwith FIG. 2. As used herein, the term “coupled” or “communicativelycoupled” refers to a communication link between components or locations.The communication link can be, for example, a voice or data link via awireless or wireline connection. The components or locations can bedirectly connected or remotely connected over a distance or via one ormore intermediate components or locations by a communication network,such as the Internet 102 or a variety of mobile network.

The CRS 170 can provision a trunk, or connection, via a communicationnetwork 180. The communication network 180 can enable communicationbetween the digital or IP-based communications of the virtual assistant112 over the Internet 102 to another protocol or communication system.The communication network 180 can switch calls between VoIP users andPSTN users, for example. The communication network 180 can also switchcalls between packet switched networks and circuit switched networks,for example. The communication network 180 can connect IP communicationsto analog and/or digital telephone extensions associated with the PSTN190. The communication network 180 can have IP connectivity (e.g.,Internet 102) and may provide additional audio, video, or instantmessaging communication capabilities utilizing the TCP/IP protocolstack. The communication network 180 can have one or more processors andassociated memories configured to enable or facilitate voice and/or datacommunications between the virtual assistant 112 in the home 110 and,for example, a dispatcher device 152 at the PSAP 150 or a contact device182 in the possession of an urgent responder (e.g., an emergencycontact) identified by the user. The contact device 182 can also betermed a responder device because it can receive a message from the PERS100 in response to the emergency communication 106.

In some embodiments, the communication network 180 can have a telephoneswitching system (TSS) 181. The TSS 181 can be an internet-basedtelephone system or telephone switching system that can couple internetcommunications to communications over another network such as the PSTN190 or a cellular network for transmission to the PSAP 150 or thecontact device 182. In some examples, the TSS 181 can be an InternetProtocol Private Branch Exchange (IP PBX).

For ease of description, the TSS 181 may be used as a primary example inthis disclosure, however, other connections between the virtualassistant 112, the dispatcher device, and the contact device 182, arepossible. For example, the CRS 170 can use IP network routing or variousswitching networks to provide a communications path from the virtualassistant 112 to the PSAP 150 and the contact device 182. In someimplementations, a direct, packet or IP-based communication link can beestablished. In some other implementations, an IP PBX as the TSS 181 canswitch VoIP telephony to the PSTN 190 for communications with the PSAP150, for example.

The controller 174 can associate the user (via the virtual assistant112) with a VoIP telephony number assigned at the communication network180, by, for example the TSS 181. The dispatcher device 152 can receivedata related to the user in addition to one or more text messagesrelated to the emergency communication 106. As described more fullybelow, the dispatcher device 152 can receive a message indicating a“short URL” 245 (FIG. 2) that can link to the user's personal healthrecord, for example. The dispatcher device 152 can also communicate withthe home 110 (e.g., the virtual assistant 112) regarding the nature ofthe emergency communication 106. This can allow the user to verballycommunicate (via, e.g., the virtual assistant and the VPS 172) with thedispatcher device 152. Such communication can be facilitated by the VPS172. Individuals at the PSAP 150 can then communicate with, and dispatchthe emergency responder 160 to the home 110. In some embodiments, thedispatcher device 152 can be a computer console, or display used at thePSAP 150 for dispatching and routing of the emergency responder 160.

The communication network 180 can provide a connection to the CRS 170 ona VoIP connection and to the PSAP 150 via the PSTN 190, for example.This can enable the virtual assistant 112, coupled to the IP connection108 on the home network 120, to connect with the PSAP 150 through PSTN190. The communication network 180 (via, e.g., the TSS 180) can alsoprocess and route calls to the PSAP 150 closest to the subscriber'spremises, for example. In some other embodiments, the communicationnetwork 180 can provide a link by which the virtual assistant 112 cansend a message or create a link with the PSAP 150 and contact device182.

In some embodiments, the emergency responder 160 can have an emergencyresponder device 162. The emergency responder device 162 can be asmartphone, tablet, or other mobile electronic device. The emergencyresponder device 162 can receive communications from the PSAP 150, forexample. In some embodiments, the emergency responder device 162communications may include the short URL (e.g., in place of, or inaddition to a caller ID number) allowing the responder to access andview medical information about the subscriber on the emergency responderdevice 162 via, for example, a web portal and network communications.Advance notification of the subscriber's medical history and particularneeds can aid in tailoring an appropriate or measured medical responseupon arrival at the home 110. This is described in further detail inconnection with FIG. 2.

The emergency responder device 162 can be communicatively coupled to thePSAP 150 or the dispatcher device 152 via a mobile communicationsnetwork (e.g., cellular) or other wireless protocols. The emergencyresponder device 162 can further be coupled to the CRS 170 via thecommunication network 180 and receive information related to theemergency communication 106 and/or the user. The emergency responderdevice 162, using the short URL and internet access, can receivepersonal medical data of the user from the DMS 176. The virtualassistant 112 can thus communicate with the user to determine the natureand extent of the emergency and transmit that information to emergencyresponder device 162. For example, if the user says “call 911 I'm hurt”,the virtual assistant 112 can place an emergency call to the PSAP 150and provide information regarding the user's medical history. The sameaction can also include notifying the user's emergency contacts orsending the emergency contacts a text message or placing a voice call tothem. Further, the virtual assistant 112 can interact with the user tohone in on specific issues. For example, the virtual assistant 112 canask further questions, such as “what's wrong? Are you in pain? Wheredoes it hurt?” Triage, by the virtual assistant 112, in this manner canensure the PSAP 150 dispatches an appropriate emergency responder 160,and that the emergency responder 160 provides the proper care, tailoredto the emergency communication 106 and the user's needs.

In some embodiments, the virtual assistant 112 and the PERS 100 as awhole can determine a location of the user within the home 110, based onthe physical location of the virtual assistant 112. For example, thevirtual assistant may be located near a bathroom, where statistics haveshown that 35% of falls at night occur. The virtual assistant 112 caninteract with the user via a series of inquiries based on the locationof the virtual assistant 112 within the home. Further statistics haveshown that a disproportionate number of calls to 911 are for a “lift”emergency, meaning the user/subscriber/individual needs help getting upoff the toilet. In such a circumstance the PERS 100, through the virtualassistant 112, can triage the situation and determine that fewerresources are needed in such a “lift” instance. The profile data webpagedisplayed on the 911 monitor is constantly refreshed with theuser-provided data.

The medical information provided to the dispatcher device 152 and theemergency responder device 162 can include medical history of the user.In some examples, the dispatcher device 152 and the emergency responderdevice 162 can send and receive Standard Messaging Server (SMS) orMultimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages related to the emergencycommunication 106. SMS and MMS messages are generally referred to hereinas text messages. The dispatcher device 152 and the emergency responderdevice 162 can also send and receive text messages with the CRS 170 thatcan then be received at the virtual assistant 112 and transmitted as anaudio file to the user. This can allow further communication with theuser in event of an emergency. For example, the user can receivereassuring audio messages such as “Remain calm. Help is on the way,” or“An ambulance has been dispatched and will arrive in 15 minutes orless.”

FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of a system for transmission ofemergency calls and dispatch of emergency services including a moredetailed functional block diagram of the personal emergency responsesystem of FIG. 1.

In some embodiments, the home 110 can have a home security system 114.The home security system 114 can be a system or collection of systemsand subsystems configured to provide home security. Such systems caninclude motion sensors, cameras, intrusion alarms, and door and windowsensors that are activated in the event of a home invasion, fire, orother emergency circumstances. The home security system 114 can be aself-contained system operated by, for example the inhabitants of thehome 110. In some examples, the home security system 114 can becontinuously monitored, such as by a 24 hour/7 days a week home securitymonitoring company.

The home 110 can have a computing device 116. The computing device 116can be, for example, a home computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or otherwired or wireless internet-connected device. As used herein, thecomputing device 116 may refer to fixed or mobile computing devices. Thecomputing device 116 can be, for example, coupled to the home securitysystem 114 and receive notifications or data in the event an associatedsensor is activated. For example, the computing device 116 (e.g., theuser's mobile device) can receive video from a security camera in thehome 110 or other data regarding window or door sensors comprising thehome security system 114. A user may not always be in the home 110 witha smartphone, for example, however, for ease of description, the userand the computing device 116 (or other mobile electronic communicationdevice) may be assumed to be present in the home 110 for use with thePERS 100.

The home 110 can further have at least one Internet of Things (IoT)device 118. The IoT device 118 can be, for example, in-home, smartmedical devices such as, a blood glucose meter, blood pressure, pulseoximeter, scales or body fat analyzers, and various fitness wearables,among other devices. The IoT device 118 can further include sensors theuser places in the home to detect the operation of various appliances ordevices (e.g., a smart coffee maker, refrigerators, mattress pad, andother smart appliances). The IoT device 118 can further be, for example,smart-home devices such as “smart” thermostats, smart air ducts or airvents, lights, and other appliances. In some implementations, the IoTdevice 118 can be a smart thermostat or other device that can cooperatewith the home security system 114 to provide information about theenvironmental state of the home 110.

Each of the virtual assistant 112, the home security system 114, thecomputing device 116 and the IoT device 118 can be coupled together by ahome network 120. The home network 120 can be a wired or wirelessnetwork for communication of data between the various attached devices.The home network 120 can be coupled to a home access point (AP) 122 thatprovides access to the internet 102.

The home network 120 can be coupled to the CRS 170 (FIG. 1). The CRS 170can have a subscription module 200. The subscription module 200 can haveone or more servers and databases for receiving, storing, andmaintaining information regarding user subscriptions, user profiles,billing and payment information, and other data associated with aservices provided by the PERS 100.

In some embodiments, the subscription module 200 can have a web server210. The web server 210 can represent one or more servers associatedwith the PERS 100. The web server 210 can render web pages and provideaccess (e.g., a graphical user interface) to the user (e.g., asubscriber) after securely logging in to a PERS account 212. The PERSaccount 212 can be stored in a memory 214 accessible by a subscriptionserver 216 and the web server 210. The memory 214 can be one or morememories or databases configured to store subscription-relatedinformation. The user subscription (e.g., the PERS account 212) can beaccessed with access credentials, such as a user name and password,biometric input, or other means. A subscription can be purchased for thePERS account 212 via the web or various mobile apps. For example, such aservice can be provided by Amazon Web Services and purchased through thePERS account 212 or other applicable Internet or web portal.

Subscriptions, and the PERS account 212 more broadly, can be managed bythe subscription server 216. The subscription server 216 can store andmanage the PERS account 212 based on input from the user/subscriber. Thesubscription server 216 can communicate with a payment server 217 toverify, for example, that the PERS account 212 is current or notdelinquent. Such verifications can be periodic or occur when the PERS100 is accessed. The subscription server 216 can further accessinformation about payment receive status.

The subscription module 200 can also have an email server 218. The emailserver 218 can transmit and receive subscription-related communications(e.g., initial subscription activation, declined transaction notices,payment card expiry notices, premises address validation, etc.) to thesubscription server 216.

The CRS 170 can also have an authentication server 220. The subscriptionmodule 200 can communicate with the authentication server 220. Theauthentication server 220 can register and authenticate, among otherthings, the virtual assistant 112, the home security system 114, thecomputing device 116, and the IoT device 118 as devices related to thePERS 100. During authentication, the authentication server can issueaccess tokens for each unique session, for example, when the subscriberaccesses the PERS account 212. In some embodiments, the authenticationserver 220 can be a part of the subscription module 200.

The CRS 170 can further have the voice processing system 172 (FIG. 1).The VPS 172 can be communicatively coupled to the home 110 via, forexample, the Internet 102. In some embodiments, the VPS 172 can receivedata from the virtual assistant 112, the home security system 114,and/or the IoT device 118. The VPS 172 can have, or be coupled to, oneor more processors (e.g., the controller 174). The VPS 172 can have anAutomatic Speech Recognition processor (ASR) 232 configured to convertspeech to text or data. The VPS 172 can also have a Natural LanguageUnderstanding processor (NLU) 234 configured to recognize the intent ofcommunications from the subscriber speaking to the virtual assistant112, for instance. The VPS 172 can have a Text-to-Speech processor (TTS)236 configured to convert text to speech. The VPS 172 can use the ASR232, the NLU 234, and the TTS 236 to provide two-way communicationbetween the oral or audio-based communications of the virtual assistant112 in the home 110 and the text or data-based systems of the PSAP 150and the emergency responder 160, for example, and more generally, thePERS 100. Certain responses can require context analysis of the verbalcommunications received at the virtual assistant 112. The VPS 172 (e.g.,the NLU 234) can provide such context analysis, enabling the PERS 100 todetermine the intent of the emergency communication 106, for example, soas to provide an appropriate response.

The CRS 170 can further have the DMS 176. The DMS 176 can have a seriesof databases or other memories operable to store, maintain, and provideaccess to information related to the PERS 100. The controller 174 can,in conjunction with the DMS 176 aid in the maintenance of the variousdatabases within the DMS 176 in addition to executing database queriesfor various functions of the PERS 100. The DMS 176 can also have a webserver (not shown, but similar to the web server 210) configured toprovide access to and display the various data stored therein toauthorized personnel. The data accessible from and stored by the DMS 176can facilitate dispatch of emergency services (e.g., the emergencyresponder 160) in response to the emergency communication 106. The datastored within the DMS 176 and it subcomponents can further provide thePSAP 150 and/or emergency responder 160 with information related to thesubscriber and/or the emergency, for example. This can aid in tailoringa measured response to the emergency communication 106.

The DMS 176 can have a profile 240. The profile 240 can also be referredto herein as a profile database. The profile 240 can store userpreferences and can have a 911-Enabled personal health record (PHR).Accordingly, the profile 240 can represent a collection of dataassociated with a given subscriber or subscribers. The profile 240 canbe associated with one or more memories to store personal informationand medical information (e.g., PHR) related to an individual subscriber.Personal information, as used herein, can generally refer to particularpieces of information or data related to the user. Personal informationcan include physical data, personal or emergency contacts,health-related information, and/or information used to identify orlocate the user/subscriber.

The profile 240 can be a cloud-based, securely accessible datarepository (e.g., a memory). The subscriber can access his or her PERSaccount 212 to initialize, update, or maintain any necessary informationstored within the profile 240.

The profile 240 can also include various pieces of personal or medicalInformation. In some embodiments, the profile 240 can include basicpersonal information such as name and identifying photo of the person inneed of assistance (e.g., the user/subscriber), address of the home 110,phone number(s), email address(es) or other contact information, age,date of birth, blood type, body weight, height, and Social SecurityNumber among other data. The profile 240 can receive and store othermedical information associated with the PHR such as, health insuranceprovider information, medical history, allergies, medical devices (e.g.,a pacemaker), physician contact information, recent hospitalizations orsurgeries, list(s) of prescription medications and over-the-countermedications taken, and blood glucose, blood pressure, electro cardiogram (EKG), electromyography (EMG) readings, pulse oximeter readings,emergency contact information, advanced medical directives, and do notresuscitate (DNR) orders among other available data, as needed.

The address of the home 110 can be, for example, a verified and exactpremises address (e.g., of the home 110) validated against a National911 Address database (911 DB) 260. The address information can alsoinclude, for example, the nearest cross streets on either side of thepremises (e.g., the home 110), a Google Maps thumbnail image and/or alink to a Street View visualization of the home 110. The profile 240 canfurther include other premises information, such as codes to keylessentry front door lock or key lock box, a location of nearest firehydrant or if there is a connection inside the building.

The profile 240 can also include various special needs of the user. Insome embodiments, the profile 240 can include accessibility informationrelated to the user, such as wheel chair or other assistive devices, orany mobility restrictions (e.g., range of motion or ambulatory status).

The profile 240 can further include information related to other specialneeds/circumstances such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),autism, dementia, Alzheimer's, or any other behavioral health issue(s).The profile 240 can also include information related to any triggersthat upset the user (e.g., flashing lights, loud noises), and methodsthat can be used to calm the user (e.g., discussing a user interest).For example, the user's special needs could indicate to emergencyresponders that the individual is a veteran with PTSD. Accordingly,certain behavioral triggers such as loud noises, bright lights, sirensthat might be characteristic of PTSD can be avoided or muted as theemergency responder 160 approaches the home 110.

The user can update the profile 240 as needed to include the aboveinformation but also other medical-information stored externally in oneor more physician maintained electronic health records (EHR) 242. Theuser can also include connected health data from wearable devices (e.g.,Fitbit).

Portable Document Format (.pdf) files or images regarding health recordscan be uploaded by the user. For example the profile 240 can also storeX-rays, blood tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emissiontomography (PET) scans, etc. This information can be downloaded orotherwise accessed at the PSAP 150 or by the emergency responder 160 ina 911 emergency. In some embodiments, the subscriber can provision orupdate his or her profile 240 for the PERS account 212 via the computingdevice 116. Using a secure Internet connection (e.g., HTTPS) or anotherwise secure Internet transport connection, the subscriber canaccess the PERS account 212. The subscriber can purchase a subscriptionto the PERS 100 via the subscription module 200. In some embodiments,the subscriber, a caregiver, or a guardian, can set up an account andregister a home address, for example, where the PERS 100 will beprimarily used. The subscriber can enter the certain personalinformation, and one or more emergency contacts (e.g., relatives,friends, neighbors, or assisted-living personnel). Other information canbe entered such as the emergency contacts' relationships to thesubscriber (e.g., son, daughter, parent, girlfriend, etc.) and contactnumbers (e.g., mobile and landline). The PERS account 212 (and theprofile 240) can also receive and specify information about a contactranking. For example, the subscriber may wish to have the PERS 100contact the listed emergency contacts in a specific order. The PERS 100(e.g., the controller 174) can access this information when required forcall routing or requested by an authorized person.

Personnel authorized to access or maintain the profile 240 can bedesignated by the subscriber. The subscriber can have ultimate controlof access to the PERS account 212 and the profile 240. The subscribercan further grant or revoke permission to a doctor or other health careprofessional as needed. Access can also be limited to some or a portionof the data contained in the profile 240. The subscriber can also grantpermission to a third-party monitoring service for smart medical devicedata, such as EKG monitoring. Such a monitoring service could warn thesubscriber in the event actual data observed was out of expected rangesthat could indicate the onset of a condition requiring the attention ofa medical professional.

Through the PERS 100, information stored in the profile 240 or PHR canbe shared with the PSAP 150 and the emergency responder 160 via thecommunication network 180 (e.g., the TSS 181). The subscriber can selectwhat information is to be shared, and what information is searchable by,for example, a dispatcher at the PSAP 150, the emergency responder 160,hospital emergency rooms, physicians, and/or other organizations orservices.

The DMS 176 can have an electronic health record (EHR) 242. The EHR 242can be one or more electronic records storing an electronic version orlog of the subscriber's (e.g., the patient's) medical history.Individual medical providers may maintain an individual EHR 242 forspecific medical disciplines. For example, the user may see a cardiacspecialist who maintains a first EHR 242 (e.g., Cerner) and adermatologist that maintains a second EHR 242 (e.g., Epic). The EHR 242may be an individual database of data that a healthcare providermaintains. The EHR 242 can represent many different databases that donot easily communicate with one another. Some of the information withinthe EHR 242 may overlap with, or be similar to, that contained withinthe profile 240.

The EHR 242 can be updated and maintained by one or more health careproviders over time. The EHR 242 may include key administrative clinicaldata relevant to that subscriber's care under a particular provider,including, for example, demographics, progress notes, problems,medications/prescriptions, vital signs, past medical history,immunizations, laboratory data, and radiology reports, among other data.Other information may also be included in the EHR 242 as requested bythe subscriber. Certain portions of the EHR 242 can also be imported tothe profile 240 as needed by the subscriber. The EHR 242 can be accessedby an authorized list of users, for example, an authorized medicalprovider.

In some embodiments the EHR 242 can be created, augmented, and/orupdated by medical professionals. In some embodiments, the subscribermay not be able to independently (e.g., without additionalauthorization) remove or delete certain medical history data orinformation from the EHR 242. In some embodiments, preferences set bythe subscriber, in for example, the PERS account 212, can govern howinformation within the EHR 242 is shared and/or maintained. The EHR 242can be restricted in the entering, storing, and access of personalmedical information to people and organizations that the individual,caregiver, or guardian consents to access.

The DMS 176 can also have a short universal resource locator (URL) DB244. The short URL DB 244 can store a plurality of short URLs that areassigned to subscribers, their respective PERS account(s) 212, andpersonal medical history and records (e.g., the EHR 242 and the profile240). In some embodiments, each subscriber can be assigned a unique,short URL 245 comprising a limited number of characters, for example,“911.ai/1RLFwZ6A.” The U.S. telecommunications infrastructure limitscaller identification (ID) numbers to 15 characters. Thus, when queried,the short URL 245 from the short URL DB 244 can be inserted into the TSS181 trunk line in place of, for example, the Caller ID Number that wouldnormally be displayed to the receiving party. In such an example, callerID numbers may be limited to 15 total characters. Thus the short URL 245can comprise a URL with 15 characters or less that can be displayed on,for example, a display at the PSAP 150 showing caller ID information.The short URL 245 can provide a temporary link to the subscriber'sprofile 240, thus providing the emergency responder 160 with thesubscriber's relevant medical history viewable from the emergencyresponder device 162. For example, the profile 240 can be coupled to aweb server (not shown) configured to render the information storedtherein as a user-viewable webpage or other portal.

In some embodiments, upon provisioning of the PERS account 212, thesubscription module 200 can verify the address of the home 110 with the911 DB 260. This can ensure that the PERS 100 may correctly routeemergency responders to the home 110. The 911 DB 260 can represent, forexample, the National 911 Profile Database maintained within the Officeof Emergency Medical Services at the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (e.g., part of the U.S. Department of Transportation).The home 110 can then be assigned the short URL 245 from the short URLDB 244. The 911 DB 260 can be queried via the PSTN 190. In someembodiments the 911 DB 260 can also be a portion of the DMS 176.

In some embodiments, the PSAP 150 can have a computer aided dispatch(CAD) system that can retrieve information from the 911 DB 260 andpresent such data and information for display to 911 telecommunicator onthe dispatcher device 152. The dispatcher device 152 can receive anaudio recording from of the subscriber's request to the virtualassistant 112 as a .wav, .mp3 or other appropriate audio file formatfrom the VPS 172.

When the virtual assistant 112 initiates a phone call to 911 in responseto the emergency communication, the website or the link to the websiteprovided by the short URL 245 is activated for viewing the individual'spersonal health record. The dispatcher device 152 can then display andthe 911 telecommunicator can then view a web page linked by the shortURL 245 by either clicking on the short URL 245 via the dispatcherdevice 152, or copying and pasting the short URL 245 into a web browser.

Depending on the nature of the medical emergency, the 911telecommunicator may determine it is necessary to share the individual'spersonal health record in the profile 240 with emergency responder 160(for view on the emergency responder device 162, for example), hospitalemergency room, and/or other appropriate organizations or services. Toshare the short URL 245, the 911 telecommunicator may send an SMSmessage, MMS message, instant message, or email to a mobile phone,tablet or computer of a person related to the emergency response. Accessto such information can be limited based on various factors such as IPaddresses, media access code (MAC) addresses, and the like to complywith, for example, HIPAA requirements.

In some embodiments, the short URL 245 may be active for a single-use.To protect the individual's privacy and for security purposes, the shortURL 245 can be automatically deactivated for use in the PERS 100 aperiod of time (e.g., hours) after initial activation of the short URL245 and associated website. In some other embodiments, the “single-use”aspect of the can also mean that the short URL 245 can only be accesseda predetermined number of times (e.g., limited number of “clicks” from asingle computer) or for different periods of time based on identity(e.g., physician, first responder, the emergency responder 160, IP/MACaddress etc.).

In some embodiments, at the time the virtual assistant 112 places a callto 911, the controller 174 can cause SMS or other type of text messagesto be sent to the emergency contacts for that individual identified intheir respective PERS account 212 (e.g., profile data or the profile240). The virtual assistant 112, via the controller 174, can also placea phone call to the mobile phone, or other designated phone number,designated as persons in the profile 240 to be contacted in anemergency.

In an embodiment each individual PERS subscriber can be assigned adedicated trunk phone line which is only used for placing calls to 911.Such a dedicated line can be presented through a SIP (Session InitiationProtocol), or other protocols such as, for example, Inter-AsteriskeXchange, H.323, and Jingle. When the virtual assistant 112 initiates aphone call to 911 via the communication network 180 or the TSS 181, thecall is automatically routed over the PSTN to the closest PSAP 150 basedon, for example, the individual's verified physical address (e.g., ofthe home 110).

In some other embodiments, the home security system 114 can cooperatewith the virtual assistant 112 to provide a silent alarm capability. Thesubscriber can also store, for example, an innocuous-sounding phrase toindicate that the subscriber may be in danger. In the event of a homeinvasion by an intruder or other police emergency (e.g., threat ofphysical harm by a resident with a behavioral health condition), thesubscriber can speak the silent alarm phrase that can then be receivedby the virtual assistant 112 (and the TTS 236). This can trigger asilent alarm to 911 via the PERS 100. The short URL 245 provided to 911(e.g., the PSAP 150) can include a notification of a police emergencyand that a silent alarm was issued by an individual at the home 110.Individual residents within the home 110 can each have a unique phraseto indicate their identity to 911. This information can be stored withinthe profile 240 and correlate with other information stored within thePERS account 212, such as special needs or behavioral health conditions.

The DMS 176 can have a medical tracking database (MedTrack) 246. TheMedTrack 246 can store information related to the PERS account 212,specific to user prescriptions, for example. The subscriber can accessthe PERS account 212 and initialize or update their profile database 440with prescription medication, including but not limited to, for example,name, dosage, strength, prescribing physician and contact information,reason for taking, date started taking, how taken, prescriptionquantity, number of refills, etc. The MedTrack 246 can also include, forexample, pharmacies or pharmacy benefit providers or prescribingphysician's Electronic Health Records and/or Continuity of CareDocuments.

The MedTrack 246 can track a subscriber's habits with respect to timelytaking required medications in accordance with doctor's order or othermedical advice. The controller 174 can periodically query the MedTrack246. Subscribers can then receive voice notifications in the form of aquestion from the virtual assistant 112 via, for example, the TTS 236based on such queries. The virtual assistant 112 can ask the subscriberwhether a particular medication has been taken in accordance with aprescription. The subscriber can verbally confirm the medication was orhas been taken by speaking to the virtual assistant 112. The controller174 can then record such confirmation in a respective MedTrack 246. Inthe event the subscriber fails to confirm a given medication has beentaken, in some examples, the subscriber's emergency contacts stored inthe profile 240 can be contacted (by e.g., the controller 174) via atext (e.g., SMS, MMS) notification.

The MedTrack 246 may primarily be a subscriber tool based on the virtualassistant 112. The MedTrack 246 can provide information about the user'sadherence to doctors' order (adherence data) to various family members,guardians, caregivers and home health aides via text, email, or othermeans. This information can be stored in the profile 240, for example.The subscriber, or care recipient, may also receive positivereinforcement for adhering to their medication regimen. Lack ofadherence may necessitate an intervention, such as the aforementionedprovision of instructions on the importance of taking proper dosages atprescribed intervals.

In some embodiments, the controller 174 may periodically query theMedTrack 246 and request a confirmation from the subscriber (via thevirtual assistant 112) to count a particular medication in a pillbottle. The voice-based queries can be sent via the VPS 172 and thevirtual assistant 112. The subscriber can then verbally confirm a givenquantity of the requested medication to the virtual assistant 112. Thiscan then be updated in the MedTrack 246. In the event deviations fromactual quantity versus the expected quantity are encountered, thecontroller 174 can indicate such information in the MedTrack 246. Such arecord can prompt an attending physician or other health care staff, forexample, to provide the subscriber with follow-up instructions regardingthe importance of prescription medication adherence.

In some embodiments, the controller 174, upon querying the MedTrack 246,can also provide voice-based prescription refill and pick up reminders.The controller 174 can use the MedTrack 246 to notify the Subscriber viathe TTS 236 on the virtual assistant 112 when medications need to berefilled and/or picked up at the pharmacy. A preferred list ofpharmacies can be included in the profile 240.

The DMS 176 can have a health tracker DB (HealthTrack) 258. TheHealthTrack 248 can connect in-home smart medical devices (e.g., the IoTdevice 118) to health care professionals via the internet 102.

In some embodiments, the controller 174 can receive data from the IoTdevice 118, including smart home health medical devices. The IoT device118 can be, for example, Bluetooth and/or WiFi enabled scales, body fatscales, blood pressure reading or monitoring devices, Holter monitors orother wearable continuous electro encephalograph (ECG)/electro cardiogram (EKG) monitors, pulse oximeter, fitness wearables and, healthtracking devices, among other devices.

The virtual assistant 112 can couple to the IoT device 118 to receivevarious health-related data and transmit the data to the CRS 170 (andthe controller 174) for update to the DMS 176. The virtual assistant 112can transmit and receive voice data to and from the subscriber, but alsosend and receive sending health tracking data and other Protected HealthInformation (PHI) over the PERS 100 in a HIPAA compliant manner.

The DMS 176 can further have a biometrics DB 250. The biometrics DB 250can receive and store information related to biometric, facial, voicerecognition, or other information. The biometrics DB 250 can storevarious bits of information such as a photo database of residents of thehome 110, authorized service providers (e.g., a housekeeper, a dogwalker, or a home health aide). This information can be related to thehome security system 114, for example. The subscriber can maintain oraugment the biometrics DB 250 by uploading photos of authorizedindividuals from, for example, the computing device 116. Biometric VoicePrints can be entered via the virtual assistant 112 using, for example,a personal identification number (PIN) or other authenticationprocesses.

The DMS 176 can have an incident DB 252. The incident DB 252 can storeinformation related to the emergency communication 106, an alert fromthe home security system 114, or other information relating to the PERS100 and/or dispatch or services based on the emergency communication.The controller 174 can create an incident report that can then be storein the incident DB 252 and later recalled for reference. In someexamples, the incident report can represent one emergency event. Alltransactions or occurrences relating to a given emergency event will beassociated with the incident report within the incident DB 252. The PERS100 can minimize false alarms, however in the event there is a falsealarm and an a penalty charge is imposed by the respective emergencyresponder 160, the incident DB 252 can serve as a record of the event.Because the subscriber may be held responsible for false alarm penaltiesin accordance with various terms of service, the subscriber can bebilled directly via the subscription module 200, for example. Theincident DB 252 can also serve as internal record for liabilityinsurance purposes to track dates and times of events.

In some embodiments, the home security system 114 can be a monitoredservice that can have live call center agents to attempt to verify anintrusion with the home owner/user before contacting the nearest policedepartment by telephone. The agents must verbally convey premiseslocation and the nature of the emergency, whether police or fire, a timeconsuming and potentially error prone process. In some embodiments, themonitoring service can contact an appropriate responder when thehardware devices of the home security system 114 indicate a potentialintrusion, fire, or other emergency is detected by the associatedhardware.

In some embodiments, the home security system 114 can include a smarthome device, such as a motion sensor and/or video camera that cantransmit push notifications to a user's mobile device when a potentialintrusion is detected via the aforementioned hardware. The user can viewthe video on their mobile device and then call the police if an intruderis observed. A shortcoming with this approach is the user may not see oract upon the notification in a timely fashion.

Some home security systems can have a high false alarm rate, as high as98% on a nationwide basis. As a result, some responders, such as policedepartments, may require a verified response from some alarm companiesbefore sending officers to the location of the alarm (e.g., the home110). An example of a verified response is remote observation of thestructure or building using a visual monitoring system that capturesvideo or other evidence of the intrusion for review prior to dispatch ofthe emergency responder 160. The verified response can corroborate anindication from the home security system 114.

In some embodiments, the PERS 100 can capture the audio and video fromthe home security system 114 and store it in the incident DB 252. Thisinformation can also be stored in the profile 240 for later reference.When the home security system 114 detects an intrusion, the PERS 100 canforward the short URL 245 to the PSAP 150, providing access to imagesand video captured in the home 110.

In the event of an intrusion at the subscriber's premises address, forexample, the home security system 114 can provide an alert to the PERS100. In response to the alert from, for example, a video camera, thecontroller 174 can query the biometrics DB 250 to run a biometric facialrecognition and associated calculations and analyses of individualsappearing in the video. The controller 174, for example, can referencethis information against the biometrics DB 250. In the event the systemdetects an intruder (e.g., no match results from the biometrics DB 250query), the controller 174 can cause a transmission to be sent to, forexample, the PSAP 150. The biometrics DB 250 can store still images,video, and/or audio recordings of the one or more intruders. Theinformation can then be accessed when needed by the controller 174, andprovided to the dispatcher device 152 and the emergency responder device162, for example. In some embodiments, this information can be madeavailable to the emergency responder 160 (via, e.g., the PSAP 150) usingthe short URL 245 described above. Such a system and method can providea verified response to the PSAP 150, reducing the rate of false alarms.

In some other implementations, the IoT device 118 can also provideadditional information to aid in an emergency response. Certain datafrom, for example, a smart thermostat can provide an indication of wherein the home 110 a fire is. In addition, this can further trigger othersmart home devices, such as a smart air duct or vent to shut off andlimit circulation of air within the home 110. Such data derived from theIoT device 118 can be saved to the incident report in the incident DB252. This information can be made available via the short URL 245 to,for example the fire department to tailor their response.

The information provided by the IoT device 118 and the home securitysystem 114 for example, can be further correlated with known buildinglayouts. The user can upload a schematic of the home 110 to the profile240, for example. In a private setting such as the home 110, or in acommercial setting, such information can further be known via publicrecords or be otherwise accessible to the PSAP 150 and the emergencyresponder 160.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for dispatching a responder in thesystem of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. A method 300 can begin in block 305 when aperson (e.g., the user, subscriber) reports an urgent situation or anemergency situation to the virtual assistant 112. The virtual assistant112 can receive the emergency communication 106 from, for example, thesubscriber in the home 110. For example, the user could say, “Alexa,tell Alert that I have fallen.” In such an instance, the virtualassistant can be “Alexa” and the PERS 100 can be referred to as “Alert.”For ease of description, many of the steps of the method 300 maydescribed as being performed by the controller 174. As noted above, thecontroller 174 can comprise one or more distributed processors orvarious cloud computing components.

At block 310, the virtual assistant 112 can use the CRS 170, and morespecifically, the VPS 172, to convert the received audio of theemergency communication into a data stream that it can transmit to thePERS 100.

At block 312, the controller 174 can create an incident report in theincident DB 252 based on the emergency communication 106. Such anincident report can represent a single emergency event (e.g., describedby the emergency communication 106). All transactions relating to theemergency event can be associated with the incident in the incident DB252.

At block 315, the controller 174 can query the profile 240 to retrieveinformation regarding the user's preferences stored in the profile 240.For example, the controller 174 can query registered emergency contacts.The controller 174 can then form a communication that is transmittedback to the virtual assistant 112 (via, e.g., the VPS 172) as a spokencommunication confirming whether the user needs emergency assistance orwhether a call to an emergency contact is requested. For example, thecontroller 174 (via the virtual assistant 112) can respond to theemergency communication 106 with, “Do you want me to call your son,David? Should I call one of your other contacts? Or should I send for anambulance?” The user can answer with an appropriate request. For ease ofdescription, the communications may be described in terms of the userand the virtual assistant 112. However, in reality, the controller 174,the VPS 172, and other aspects of the CRS 170 and the PERS 100 mayactually be performing at least part of the method.

At block 318, the PERS 100 through the virtual assistant 112, canconfirm the nature of the emergency communication. In some situations,there can be more than one spoken exchange between the user/subscriberand the virtual assistant 112. For example, if the virtual assistant 112is unable to understand the user's request, then the virtual assistant112 may verify the request with a qualifying response, until the virtualassistant 112 and/or the VPS 172 (and e.g., the NLU 234) has determinedthe action desired by the user. In some examples, the virtual assistant112 can default to simple yes or no questions in the event a usercommand is unclear. If no response is received from the emergencycontacts, or no emergency contacts respond that they can aid the user,the PERS 100 may have a default setting whereby 911 is called.

If at decision block 320 the virtual assistant 112 receives acommunication from the user indicating that no emergency services (e.g.,fire, police, ambulance, etc.) are needed, the virtual assistant 112 canconfirm that a call will be placed to the user's preferred emergencycontacts in the profile 240, for example. This can include sending amessage alerting the user's son, David, as described in connection withblock 315, 318.

At block 325, the controller 174 can, based on the emergency contactinformation in the profile 240, use the communication network 180 (e.g.,the TSS 181) to facilitate transmission of a text message (e.g., to theuser's son, David) and/or placing an automated phone call to theselected emergency contact's phone. This can form a communication linkbetween the emergency contact's phone and the virtual assistant 112. Thevirtual assistant 112 can thus become similar to a speaker phone for theuser to communicate with the requested emergency contact using thevirtual assistant 112. In some embodiments, the PERS 100 may attempt tocontact specific emergency contacts one at the time (e.g., in order of apriority), or all responders simultaneously

If a text message (e.g., an SMS) is sent, it can prompt the emergencycontact(s) to click on a link which opens a web interface (e.g., on thecontact device 182). The emergency contact may be prompted to indicate,via the web interface on the contact device 182, whether he or she canassist the user, and how long it may take him or her to get to the home110.

In some embodiments, the controller 174 can enable the emergency contactto send a response to the SMS. The communication network 180 (e.g., theTSS 181) can then forward the response back to the controller 174 thatcan then generate a message to the user. For example, “Your son Davidwrites: ‘I'm on my way, as fast as I can. I think I can be there in lessthan ten minutes.” The virtual assistant 112 can then speak the contentsof such a response to the user.

A variant of the system can allow the emergency contact to speak amessage to the user when responding to the automated phone call. Thismessage can be sent to the user via the virtual assistant 112 (and theVPS 172) as a recording, or converted to text by means of thenatural-language-understanding processing service (e.g., the NLU 234)and then converted back to speech by the VPS 172 (e.g., the TTS 236).

If an automated phone call is placed, the virtual assistant 112 can usethe VPS 172 to prompt the emergency contact to answer the same questionsas the SMS mentioned above. The communication network 180 (e.g., the TSS181) can facilitate the transmission of information between the virtualassistant 112 (e.g., the user) and the contact device 182 (e.g., theemergency contact). Full two-way communication between the virtualassistant 112 and the contact device 182 (by speech or text) ispossible.

If, at decision block 330, the emergency contact enters the requestedinformation into the contact device 182 in response, the controller 174can then construct an audible response for transmission by the virtualassistant 112 within the home 110 indicating that the emergency contacthas received the message and is enroute. At block 335, the controller174 can enable the two-way communication (e.g., text or voice) betweenthe virtual assistant 112 and the contact device 182. For example, “Yourson David says he can be here in less than twenty minutes. Is that soonenough, or should I also call someone else, or send for an ambulance?”The user can respond as needed.

If, at decision block 330, the emergency contact does not respond to theSMS or automated phone call, or if the emergency contact indicates thathe or she is unable to assist at the home 110 in block 335, then thecontroller 174 may communicate such status back to the user via thevirtual assistant 112.

If, after block 335 no emergency contact is available or if at decisionblock 330 no response is received from any emergency contact, the method300 can default to contacting emergency services (e.g., the PSAP 150, or911) at block 340.

Also, if at decision block 320 the emergency communication 106affirmatively indicates a user request for an ambulance, policeassistance, or report a fire, the method can move to block 340.

At block 340, the controller 174 can generate a message for transmissionto 911 emergency services for receipt at the PSAP 150. The controller174 can query the DMS 176 to determine the user's name and address fromthe profile 240 to provide the proper information to the PSAP 150 atblock 340.

At block 345, the controller 174 can transmit, via the communicationnetwork 180 (e.g., the TSS 181), the message to the PSAP 150. Forexample, based on the situation, the controller 174 may cause a textmessage to be sent to the PSAP 150: “Jane Doe, at 555 Main Street, SomeTown, requests an ambulance.” The communication can be sent as atext-based request via the communication network 180 (e.g., the TSS181). The communication network 180 (e.g., the TSS 181) can route theemergency request to an appropriate 911 emergency call center (e.g., thePSAP 150), based on the address of the home 110.

In some embodiments, the PERS 100 can allow communication (via virtualassistant 112) with the user to continue, periodically informing theuser how much time remains before the emergency contact or emergencyservices arrive. The PERS 100 can further inquire with the user via thevirtual assistant if any other action needs to be taken, such makingadditional calls.

In an embodiment, if the user stops responding to the virtual assistant112, the PERS 100 can request an ambulance, for example, if one has notalready been dispatched. The PERS 100 can further end a conversationwhen the user indicates that help has arrived or is no longer needed.PERS 100 can also end the conversation when the emergency contact oremergency services indicates arrival at the home.

In some other embodiments, the contact device 182 can further provideposition information to the controller 174. The controller 174 can thenfurther terminate the connection with the virtual assistant 112 when theposition information of the contact device 182 indicates that it hasarrived at the home 110.

The controller 174 and the subscription module 200 can maintain openaccess to the incident report created until the user or the responderreports arrival via, for example, the virtual assistant 112.

In some embodiments, the controller 174 can further poll all openincident reports. If an incident report has not been closed within apredetermined amount of time, the controller 174 may initiate anautomated phone call to 911 Emergency Services, as described above.

In some embodiments, the virtual assistant 112 can have other wirelessconnection capabilities, such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, WeMo, among otherwireless protocols. For example, the virtual assistant 112 can actuatesmart door locks. Thus, when the user requests assistance via the PERS100, any automated door locks in the home 110 can be unlocked to permitentry to the emergency personnel. This can be done either automatically,via the profile 240 and the short URL 245, or at the user's request.

The advantages of the PERS 100 include, for example, that the user cancall for assistance at any time, from anywhere within the home, withoutthe need of wearing any device. The user can easily, using normal spokenlanguage, choose among many different emergency contact or emergencyservices, without there being any need for costly call-center services.

The PERS 100 provides automated, voice-controlled Personal EmergencyResponse System utilizing a natural-language-understanding andtext-to-speech service to contact emergency services and provideinformation to first responders to more appropriately deal with theemergency situation.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one ofordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be thebest mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand andappreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents ofthe specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The inventionshould therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment,method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within thescope and spirit of the invention

The foregoing method descriptions and the process flow diagrams areprovided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to requireor imply that the operations of the various embodiments must beperformed in the order presented. As will be appreciated by one of skillin the art the order of operations in the foregoing embodiments may beperformed in any order. Words such as “thereafter,” “then,” “next,” etc.are not intended to limit the order of the operations; these words aresimply used to guide the reader through the description of the methods.Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example,using the articles “a,” “an,” or “the” is not to be construed aslimiting the element to the singular.

The various illustrative functional blocks, modules, and algorithmoperations described in connection with the embodiments disclosed hereinmay be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, orcombinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability ofhardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules,and operations have been described above generally in terms of theirfunctionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware orsoftware depends upon the particular application and design constraintsimposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement thedescribed functionality in varying ways for each particular application,but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing adeparture from the scope of the present inventive concept.

The hardware used to implement the various illustrative logics,functional blocks, and modules described in connection with the variousembodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with ageneral purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate ortransistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combinationthereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Ageneral-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but, in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of receiver devices, e.g., a combination ofa DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration. Alternatively, some operations or methods may beperformed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may beimplemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or moreinstructions or code on a non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium or non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. Theoperations of a method or algorithm disclosed herein may be embodied inprocessor-executable instructions that may reside on a non-transitorycomputer-readable or processor-readable storage medium. Non-transitorycomputer-readable or processor-readable storage media may be any storagemedia that may be accessed by a computer or a processor. By way ofexample but not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable orprocessor-readable storage media may include random access memory (RAM),read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EEPROM), FLASH memory, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium that may be used to store desired program code in the form ofinstructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a computer.Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc,optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-raydisc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discsreproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are alsoincluded within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable andprocessor-readable media. Additionally, the operations of a method oralgorithm may reside as one or any combination or set of codes and/orinstructions on a non-transitory processor-readable storage mediumand/or computer-readable storage medium, which may be incorporated intoa computer program product.

Although the present disclosure provides certain example embodiments andapplications, other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art, including embodiments which do not provide all of thefeatures and advantages set forth herein, are also within the scope ofthis disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure isintended to be defined only by reference to the appended claims.

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A method for providing a measured medicalresponse, comprising: storing personal information for one or moreemergency contacts to a profile of a user in a computer memory, theprofile further including information related to a personal medicalhistory of the user and location of a user premises; receiving anemergency communication via a virtual assistant, the emergencycommunication being spoken to the virtual assistant by the user in theuser premises; processing the emergency communication at a voiceprocessing system communicatively coupled to the virtual assistant totranslate the emergency communication into an emergency data message;temporarily linking a short universal resource locater (URL) from ashort URL database to the profile of the user; appending the short URLto the emergency data message, the short URL providing a temporary linkto the profile of the user; and transmitting, the emergency data messageincluding the short URL to a public safety answering point (PSAP) of thecommunication network.
 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising;determining a location of the user within the user premises based on aphysical location of the virtual assistant; and transmitting anindication that an emergency service provider has been contacted to theuser via the virtual assistant.
 23. The method of claim 21 wherein theshort URL is transmitted as caller identification information.
 24. Themethod of claim 21, further comprising transmitting the emergency datamessage to the one or more emergency contacts.
 25. The method of claim21, wherein the voice processing system comprises a naturallanguage-understanding service and a speech-to-text service.
 26. Themethod of claim 21, wherein the emergency communication is received viaa voice over internet protocol (VoIP) connection with the virtualassistant.
 27. The method of claim 21, wherein the short URL providesaccess to the profile of the user for a predetermined period of time.28. A method for providing a measured medical response to a userpremises, the method comprising: storing personal information about auser in a profile of a computer memory, the personal informationincluding a personal medical history of the user; receiving acommunication from the user via a virtual assistant; and transmittingthe information related to the communication as a data message, by oneor more processors, via a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to adispatcher device at a public safety answering point (PSAP), the datamessage including a short universal resource locater (URL) from a shortURL database, the short URL providing a link to the personal medicalhistory and a location of the user premises.
 29. The method of claim 28,further comprising: receiving a response to the data message from thePSAP indicating receipt of the data message; and transmitting anindication that an emergency service provider has been contacted to theuser via the virtual assistant.
 30. The method of claim 29, furthercomprising determining a location of the user within the user premisesbased on a physical location of the virtual assistant within the userpremises.
 31. The method of claim 28, wherein the short URL comprises 15characters or less.
 32. The method of claim 28 further comprisingselecting the short URL from the short URL database; associating theshort URL with the personal medical history and the location of the userpremises; and activating the short URL for a predetermined period oftime.
 33. The method of claim 32 further comprising transmitting theshort URL from the dispatcher device to an emergency responder device ofan emergency responder dispatched by the PSAP via a text message. 34.The method of claim 28 further comprising transmitting a notification toone or more emergency contacts stored in the user profile in response tothe communication.
 35. A device for providing a measured medicalresponse to a user premises, the device comprising: a memory; and one ormore processors communicatively coupled to the memory and operable tostore personal information about a user in a profile in the memory, theprofile including information related to a personal medical history ofthe user, receive a communication from a user via a virtual assistantlocated within user premises; generate a data message including adigital representation of information related to the communication,temporarily link a short universal resource locater (URL) from a shortURL database to the profile of the user, append the short URL to thedata message, the short URL providing a temporary link to the profile ofthe user, and transmit the data message via a public switched telephonenetwork (PSTN) to a dispatcher device at a public safety answering point(PSAP).
 36. The device of claim 35, wherein the processor is furtheroperable to: receive a response to the data message indicating a timeenroute to the user premises; and provide an indication of the timeenroute to the user via the virtual assistant.
 37. The device of claim35, wherein the one or more processors is further configured todetermine a location of the user within the user premises based on aphysical location of the virtual assistant within the user premises andinclude the location of the user within the user premises in the datamessage.
 38. The device of claim 35 wherein the short URL comprises 15characters or less.
 39. The device of claim 35 wherein the one or moreprocessors is further configured to: select the short URL from the shortURL database; associate the short URL with the information from theprofile; and activate the short URL for a predetermined period of time.40. The device of claim 39 further comprising transmitting the short URLfrom the dispatcher device to a responder device of a first responderdispatched by the PSAP.